NATO intensifies drills to protect undersea pipelines, wires

Brussels. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has established a new center for the protection of undersea pipelines and cables. NATO’s move comes amid concerns over an attack on the Nord Stream pipeline and Russia’s mapping of Europe’s maritime zones of critical Western energy and internet infrastructure. “The threat continues to grow,” said the center’s head, Lieutenant General Hans Vernal Wienmann, after NATO defense ministers approved a proposal to set up the new center in Northwood, north-west London.

Speaking to reporters at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Wiermann said, “Russian ships have been actively mapping our critical undersea infrastructure. Concerns have grown that Russia could target undersea pipelines and other critical infrastructure in an effort to disrupt normal life in Western countries.

NATO swung into action last September following attacks on two gas pipelines (Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2) located in the Baltic Sea. Both these pipelines were built to supply Russian natural gas to Germany. At the moment it is not clear who was behind the attack. No one was officially held responsible for the attack, but NATO has since increased its military presence in the Baltic Sea and North Sea. It has deployed dozens of warships as well as surveillance aircraft and underwater drones to the area.

Disclaimer:IndiaTheNews has not edited this news. This news has been published from PTI-language feed.